1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a radio frequency (RF) based communication system for providing the identification and tracking of motor vehicles, and more specifically to a vehicle identification and tracking system that is capable of integration into existing motor vehicle registration infrastructures.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As the volume of motor vehicle traffic increases, so too increases the number of traffic jams, accidents, fatalities and serious injuries to drivers. To overcome such concerns, various approaches to implementing Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITSs) have been proposed in the art. Generally, an ITS is a system which, by the combined use of sensors, radio frequency technology and computer systems, places transponders in vehicles and on the roadways to support operations that may include electronic toll collection, traffic control and demand management, driver information systems and collision avoidance.
There is no question that intelligent transportation systems can improve the experiences of drivers in many ways, however, given the many different implementations of such systems in the art, each utilizing different equipment, significant problems exist related to lack of uniformity and inter-operability across each of the systems. For example, a truck driver traveling from one geographical jurisdiction to another could potentially have to carry several different transponders on his or her vehicle in order to take advantage of the electronic toll collection stations located within various jurisdictions. Thus, in order that the functions of an ITS are optimally implemented, it is necessary that every vehicle having access to the system be compatible with the sensor and communication constructs used in the system infrastructure. In other words, part of the problem to be solved is that the vehicle-based equipment of an intelligent transportation system be universally operational over the entire population of vehicles on the road. Since, if the vehicle-based equipment were only installed in new vehicles, or if it were a retrofit installation at the option of the vehicle owner, even if the installation were free, the desired condition of universal inter-operability would practically never be met, taking many years to achieve even a 90% uniformity.
Moreover, an additional problem to be solved once an ITS system is in place is that of maintaining and upgrading the vehicle-based equipment. In other words, besides the need to have a very high percentage of the vehicle-based installations operational at all times, there is a need to upgrade the equipment as technology improves and more functions are required for incorporation into existing intelligent transportation systems. And notwithstanding the problems related to vehicle-based equipment uniformity and interoperability, there is also a need to expand the capabilities for ITS networks by providing methods to better sense and communicate with the vehicles that comprise the ITS network.
Thus, a radio frequency (RF) based smart tag system that exploits the use of existing motor vehicle registration tags to overcome the problems related to the uniformity and inter-operability of vehicle-based equipment and includes the capability to automatically identify vehicles, determine vehicle location, determine vehicle speed and direction and exchange data with vehicles is highly desirable.